energy, mining and aircraft deals on table in talks with U.S.
Over $9.8 billion already
spent on incomplete Govt. office complex …costnowprojectedtoreach$19.6billion
…asmostof7,800ontreatment achieveviralsuppression–Anthony
US$120M Oil & Gas Training College opens
set to fall HIV infections in Port Mourant
The A Partnership
for National
Unity (APNU)
has condemned the Government of Guyana (GoG) for what it describes
a s a “ q u i e t ” a n d controversial drawdown of $18.8billioninthefinaltwo monthsof2025,accusingthe a d m i n i s t r a t i o n o f sidestepping parliamentary scrutiny. Financial Paper Number Two of 2025 was laid in the National Assembly by Finance Minister,Dr AshniSingh,on January 26, 2026 — weeks after the funds had already been spent and during presentation of the 2026 NationalBudget.
Opposition Member of Parliament (MP) Ganesh Mahipaul on Sunday said that APNU did not support the passage of the financial paper as the approach by governmentreeksofflagrant
disrespect to the National AssemblyofGuyana.“Ifthe sumswerespentin2025,the administration had every opportunity to convene a sitting before the end of Decembertoseekthelawful approval of the House. Instead, it chose to arrive in February of a new financial year without any acceptable explanation and ask Members to simply endorse whathasalreadybeendone,” Mahipaulargued. Hepointedoutthatwhile the law allows for advances tobemadebyagovernment, the PPPhas trampled on the
d accountabilitybyrefusingto convene Parliament in November or December to approve the additional
expenditure.
Moreover, the MP described the move as an abuse of the contingency fund, as the expenditure by government failed to meet the criteria of “urgent and unforeseen”.
Mahipaul called for a division in Parliament, during the wee hours of Saturdaymorning,following the debate on the sum requested. He told Kaieteur News it was important for the record to show that APNU did not support such an act that reduces the National Assembly to a “rubberstamp”.
Additionally,hesaidthat whilethePPPholdsmajority of the Parliamentary seats, thedivisionallowedforeach MP to vote according to his
LONDON, Feb 12 (Reuters) - World oil demand will rise more slowly than expected this year, the International Energy Agency said on Thursday,whilewarningthe global market still faces a sizeable surplus despite outages that cut supply in January
In its monthly oil report, the agency projected that global supply would exceed demand by 3 73 million barrels per day in 2026, broadlyunchangedfromlast month A surplus of that scalewouldequalalmost4% of world demand and is larger than other forecasts. Global benchmark Brent crude LCOc1 was trading below $70 a barrel on Thursday,edginglowerafter the report. Prices are still up about 14% since the start of theyearontensionsbetween theU.S.andIranandsupply outages across several producers “Escalating
geopolitical tensions, snowstorms and extreme temperatures in North America,andKazakhsupply disruptions sparked the reversaltoabullishmarket,” said the IEA, which advises industrialisedcountries.
PRICESCURB
DEMAND
World oil demand is set to rise by 850,000 bpd this year, the IEA said, down
80,000 bpd from last month’s forecast and well
below Wednesday’s projection from producer groupOPEC.
TheIEAsaid“economic uncertainties and higher oil prices” were weighing on consumption.
Supply has risen faster thandemandlargelybecause OPEC+-theOrganisationof the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and other allies - began increasing output in April 2025 after years of cuts Otherproducers,suchasthe U S , Guyana, and Brazil, havealsoliftedproduction.
OPEC+ has, however, paused its output hikes for the first quarter of 2026
Eightmemberswillmeeton March 1 when they are expected to decide whether toresumethehikesinApril.
SUPPLYCUTINEARLY 2026
Global oil supply plunged by 1.2 million bpd in January to 106.6 million bpd after the outages in
Kazakhstan and elsewhere, the IEA said. With supply cutatthestartoftheyear,the agency trimmed its projection for 2026 supply growth to 2.4 million bpd from 2 5 million bpd last month.
OPEC+ pumped 43 3 million bpd of crude in January, down 160,000 bpd from December, the IEA said.Thatremainsfarabove the report’s estimate of demand for OPEC+ crude plus inventory withdrawals, which it puts at 39.7 million bpd in the first quarter and 39 6 million bpd in the second. Data published by OPEC on Wednesday, however, pointed to a much smallersurplusinthesecond quarter and a supply deficit in 2026 overall if OPEC+ output stays at January levels, according to a Reuterscalculation.
own will which would demonstrate individual principle and respect for the House, or lack thereof Notably, 28 members voted against and 35 in favour of the Motion to support the additional expenditure by government. Leader of the Opposition, Azruddin
Mohamed and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo were absent from the Assemblyatthetimeanddid not cast their respective votes.
The joint Opposition currently holds 29 seats and the governing party 36 seats inthe65-memberAssembly Mahipaul therefore urged, “The National Assembly is not a rubber stamp. It is the constitutional body charged withensuringaccountability, transparency, and proper oversight of public funds on behalf of the people of Guyana Possessing a
majority does not give any government the moral authority to ignore longstanding principles of respect, order, and lawful process.”
T h e M P a d d e d , “Principles matter Respect for the Assembly matters.
Lawandordermatter These mustneverbecompromised, particularly when public spending and the people’s moneyareinvolved.”
According to Financial Paper NumberTwo, seen by
$18,821,223,636with$7.4B for current and $11.4B for capital expenditure to cover the period November 18 to December 16, 2025. Earlier in2025,theGoGhadsought an additional $57 5B to support the $1.382 trillion Budget This means that Government increased its spending power in the election year to a massive $1,458,313,838,911.
Guyana’s health sector is poised for a major workforce expansion with the rollout of a new hybrid nursing programme developed in partnership with the World HealthOrganisation(WHO).
Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony made the announcement during the considerationofthenationalbudgetestimates lastweekFriday Theinitiativewassupported by US$1 million from theWHO through the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO)
collaboration from the University of São Paulo,Brazil.
Professors from the university worked with Guyanese teams, while 30 local tutors were trained in Brazil to strengthen the delivery of the new curriculum. “We have developed a new program. It’s called the hybrid program, and this program actually wasdevelopedinpartnershipwiththeWorld Health Organisation,” the health minister said.Undertheprevioussystem,Guyana Continued on page 9
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Publisher:GLENNLALL-TEL:624-6456
Editor:NIGELWILLIAMS
Tel:225-8465,225-8491. Fax:225-8473,226-8210
MinisterofHealth,Dr FrankAnthonycandenyasmuch as he wants, but he is wasting time, reduces his standing beforecitizens. TheendingofthemedicalpactthatGuyana haswithCubareeksofcavingunderUSpressure,thePPPC Government's fear of going against the White House juggernautandhisWashingtonmachine.
Cuban medical personnel have been in Guyana for decades. To the greatest extent possible, that brigade has worked hard and served the people of this country well. Doctors and others came here when there was an acute shortage of Guyanese medical professionals, and when the options were limited. Now the Guyana Government has turned its back on that agreement that worked so well for citizens, and all but slammed the door shut on the official linkage.
Itisoneindicationofhowanindependentnationbarters andrelinquishesitsfreedomsanditsprideforwhathasbeen deemeda'specialrelationship'andfriendship. Agoodfriend to this country is kissed goodbye, with a kick as the parting gift.Itisnotsurprisingintheleast,forjustashowthePPPC ofrecentyears,andmoreandmoretoday,hasturneditsback on its roots, abandoned the working class, discarded its old ideologyanditsdogmas,itnowdoesthesametotheCuban government. The men and women in the government of today have proved in trumps, what kind of friends they are, andhowmuchtheycannotbetrusted. Goodfriendswhenthe weather is clear, foul friends when former despised adversaries apply pressure, must be obeyed. Impoverished Guyanese, who form between 50 to 60% of this nation's population can swear to that betrayal, having being themselvesjilted.
Minister Anthony is politically savvy enough to know that the dirty job he had to do (facing the media with his announcement about the shredding of the Cuban deal) has made him lose some precious credibility Notwithstanding thepoliticalcreaturethatheis,hehastoknowthatwhathe sharedwiththepublicasasopislameatbest,pusheshiminto the company of the laughable, at worst. The minister's sop thattheGuyana-Cubanarrangementwasnotnecessary,and thatCubansarecomingontheirowntooffertheirskillsand energieshere,doesmoreharmthangood. Guyanastillhas trainee doctors and others barely out of the beginner's category in their numbers. The Cubans, therefore, are still needed, which means that the official country-to-country arrangementstillhassomedaysandyearsleftinit. Thelure ofbeinginacountrythattheworldspeaksofexcitedlyissure toattractitsshareofthosereadytogiveGuyanaatry,butit will be on an individual basis. The government-togovernmentconnectiongoesfarinremovingthesuffocating red tape of bureaucracy, smoothing the way for an efficient and satisfying first introduction to Guyana. Individuals cannotcompetewiththatmachinery,whichhasthepowerof thestatedrivingit.
IntothelapofMinisterAnthony,thesubjectminister,fell that tough job. To stand before resident Cubans, Cuban officials, and Guyanese and deliver his message. The messageiswrong,thetimingmakesthePPPCGovernment look like some captive and docile stooge that jumps to the commandsoftheWhiteHouse,ashandeddownthroughthe StateDepartment. Forthesakeofreasoneddiscussion,weat this paper put forward this thought. If the US didn't have a problemwiththestubbornnessofCubanleaders,didn'tzero in and target the Cuban medical program that has benefited Guyanaandothercountriesinthisregionsomuch,wouldthe PPPC Government even be addressing this issue? Would MinisterofHealthAnthonyevenbetalkingaboutthesadend to what was once a happy set of circumstances that was so meaningfultoGuyanese?Inanutshell,theopticsarewrong, the timing is wrong, and the decision is wrong. To discard like yesterday's fish wrapping a once valued relationship speakstothecallousnessthathastakenovertheleadershipof thiscountry,nowconsumesitsmembers. Whateverhastobe donetosurrendertoUSdemands,itisdone.
The $1 Buyout: How the government is paying billions for a bridge that was about to be free
DearEditor, If a public official managed their own bank account the way they are currently managing yours, they would be bankrupt within a week. But in the world of Guyanese high finance, commonsenseisoftensacrificedatthe altarof"privatesectorencouragement." The recent announcement that the Government is "finalising" the acquisitionoftheBerbiceRiverBridge isnotavictoryforthetaxpayer—itisa calculated heist that turns a legal gift intoamulti-billiondollargiveaway
Tounderstandthemagnitudeofthis "skullduggery," we must look at the math in layman's terms. The Berbice Bridge was built as a "Build-OwnOperate-Transfer" (BOOT) project This is a simple legal contract: private investors get to run the bridge and collect tolls for 21 years to make back their money plus profit. At the end of that term—which for this bridge is roughly 2027/2028—the law mandates that the bridge be handed over to the peopleofGuyanaforthesymbolicprice ofonedollar
Instead of waiting just a year and a few months to pick up the keys for the price of a local soda, the Government has engineered a "crisis" to justify a massivepayouttoday
The complicity of the State in fueling this heist follows a cynical, three-stepplaybook:
TheArtificialDebt:InAugust2025, the Government declared the bridge
"toll-free."Whilethissoundslikerelief, it was actually a financial trap. The private owners didn't lose their right to revenue;theGovernmentsimplyagreed topaytheprivatecompanyeverysingle cent of those tolls out of the public purse.
The Budget Balloon: By removing tolls, the Government ballooned the bridge maintenance and subsidy allocation from a modest $175 million in2025toastaggering$1.342billionin the 2026 budget. They created an "undueburden"onthetreasurybytheir ownhand,thenusedthatveryburdenas the excuse to say, "We must buy the bridge now to stop paying these high subsidies!"
The ObsoleteAsset:Adding insult toinjury,theStateisalreadynegotiating a$260millionUSDcontractforanew, high-span bridge to replace the current structure. We are being asked to buy a car that is about to be scrapped, from a dealerwhowaslegallyobligatedtogive ittousforfreenextyearanyway
So, who are we paying? While MinisterEdghillremains"tight-lipped" on the exact final figure, the scale is evident:the2026budgethasalreadyset aside$12.2billionfor"bridgeworks,"a portion of which is fueling this acquisition.Wearepayingahandpicked group of private "partners" who have spent years being protected while the public's money—invested through the National Insurance Scheme (NIS)—tookthebruntoftherisk.
Thelistofbeneficiariesremainsthe same "merry" circle: New GPC and Queens Atlantic Investment Inc (controlled by Dr Bobby Ramroop), Secure International Finance (Beharry Group),andHand-in-HandInsurance.
The most jarring part of this "creative" construct is the fate of the NIS. While the government claims the NIS has received returns on its $2.5 billion investment, the scheme itself continues to operate at a massive deficit standing at roughly $2 5 billion in the red. Contributors are told there is "no money" for significant benefit increases, yet billions can be found to ensure private investors walk away"smilingtothebank"beforetheir concessionexpires.
The question remains: If these publicofficialswerehandlingtheirown retirement funds or their children's inheritance, would they ever pay a multi-billion-dollar premium for something they would legally own for $1dollarintwelvemonths?Theanswer is a resounding no This is not "prudence " This is the deliberate picking of the small man's pocket to ensure the elite are carried to the finish line on the backs of the Guyanese taxpayer
“Afterall,whatwassoldameresix months ago as toll—free crossings for citizens, ironically is now being served upastheirfinalbill.”
Regards HemduttKumar
Trade unions cannot and must not sit idly by while the rights of their members are trampled
DearEditor,
More than five years after first raising concerns about accountable governance in an oilproducing economy, the s i t u a t i o n r e m a i n s fundamentally unchanged This is even more troubling whereforeignersarearriving in stampedes and, in many instances, demonstrating little or no regard for our laws,customsandpractices. In 2021, yours truly made clear that accountable governance is indispensable to building a safe and productive labour force Today, that warning still stands.
We are marking time. Worse, we are digging ourselves deeper into counterproductive practices thaterodeournationalethos, undermine workers' rights, weakeninstitutions,andstall genuine advancement A country awash with oil wealthcannotcrediblyclaim progresswhensomanyofits people are poor, its workers and citizens remain marginalised and excluded fromdecision-making.
Government does not own Guyana. It governs at the pleasure of the people andmustdosoinaccordance withtheConstitutionandthe law The Constitution of Guyana prescribes our rights, and these rights must be upheld regardless of which government occupies office. Article 13 mandates the establishment of an "inclusionary democracy" by providing increasing opportunities for citizens and their organisations to participate in the management and decisionmaking processes of the State, particularly in areas thatdirectlyaffecttheirwellbeing.
A constitutional right cannot be honoured in the breach.Guyanesemustinsist that both Government and Oppositionpasstherelevant legislation to give effect to Article 13 Inclusive governance requires government,opposition,and stakeholders working together for the national good. No administration has theauthoritytodenycitizens what the supreme law guarantees.
Political operatives continuetobehaveasthough workers are their subjects and Guyana's resources belongtothemtodispenseas theyplease,whilethemasses remain deprived Labour registers its strongest disapproval of this plantation-style, massathinkingandurgessocietyto demand enforcement of a systemofgovernmentthatis accountable to the people.
The time has come for citizens to agitate for meaningful participation in decisions affecting our economic, social, cultural and political well-being These matters must be shapedbythepeople,notby external interests or internal actors indifferent to the publicgood.
We must hold all governments accountable to respectourrightsanduphold the law, whether or not we support them at the polls. Thecountrydoesnotbelong to any administration; it belongs to all of us. Those elected serve at the will of thepeopleandonourbehalf.
Every supporter of the People's Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has the right to demand that the government keeps its promises, just as the Opposition has a duty to do thesame.
What is occurring in the foreign-dominated oil and gas sector remains deeply troubling Exploitation of workers persists When workersquestionconditions, retaliation follows including not being recalled after turnaround. Guyanese workers continue to be denied equal pay for equal workcomparedwithforeign counterparts.
One must question whether this environment is beingfacilitatedbyaregime that speaks of respecting workers' rights but shows little urgency in enforcing labourlawsandinternational conventions designed to protect them. Whatever the limitations of the oil contract, nothing prevents stronger enforcement of workerprotections.
TheIrfaanAliregimehas (Continuedonpage5)
Frompage4 not meaningfully engaged the Opposition and trade unionstocraftlaws,policies and programmes that secure workers' welfare and advancement. The regime appears to be continuing where it left off in 2015, offering little new hope to the Guyanese labour force. Thecontemptnowevidentin theoilandgassectordidnot begin there. It traces back more than a decade to Bauxite Company Guyana Incorporated(BCGI),where the PPP/C government facilitated the excesses of RUSAL management Guyanese bauxite workers were rendered second-class citizensintheirownland,as labour rights were disregarded and the laws of Guyanatreatedasoptional. Yetagain,wearehearing promises to reopen BCGI, evenastheaffectedworkers were robbed of their lawful termination benefits The Guyana Bauxite & General W o r k e r s U n i o n (GB&GWU) wrote to the Labour Minister and the Chief Labour Officer requesting intervention to address this injustice. That correspondence is either lyingunattendedonadeskor hasbeenthrowninthewaste baskets That precedent signalled to other foreign companies that enforcement would be weak If the government—partownerof
BCGI — would not rein in thoseexcesses,whywouldit restrain others where it has no ownership interest? The pattern of inaction has consequences.
The Ali/Jagdeo regime
once condemned the
Granger/Nagamootoo administration for signing what many regard as a lopsided oil contract.Today, they resist renegotiating the very agreement they criticised, despite the parliamentary Opposition's public commitment to support renegotiation. Such inconsistency erodes public trustandexposesatroubling double standard. Campaign promises must not dissolve onceofficeisattained. Callsbycivilsocietyand theOppositiontorenegotiate the original contract and safeguard the environment now face resistance from a political party that, when in Opposition, was the loudest champion of that very call. The nation cannot ignore thatcontradiction.Andeven with the amassing of great wealth — more than US$8 billion in five years significant sections of society remain excluded, as poverty and child malnutrition escalate. The peopleofthisnationdeserve better Withpoliticalwillwe can do better Citizens and workers must not allow political expediency to replace accountable
governance. When leaders promise renegotiation and the creation of thousands of jobs, they must present credible pathways and measurable outcomes Announcements alone do not create employment. In more mature democracies, political leaders are pressed bymediaandcivilsocietyto demonstratefeasibility
Here, numbers are often
transparent mechanisms. If leaders wish to model
international examples, they must also accept equivalent scrutiny Ourroleascitizens is to hold all governments accountable including those we support. History
governments are not held accountable, they grow indifferenttotheverypeople who placed them in office. Accountable governance is essential to a safe and productive workforce. Lest we forget, the laws were enacted to protect every citizen, every worker, r
cal affiliation,orethnicidentity What affects one worker affects all Trade unions cannot and must not sit idly by while the rights of their membersaretrampled.
Solidarity forever The unionmakesusstrong.
Regards LincolnLewis
DearEditor,
There was a recent letter in the press on the local rum industry that conveyed the misconception that the industry would be disadvantaged by GuySuCo if price adjustments were made to some of its raw materialinputs.
The author seemed to lack in depth knowledgeofthebeveragealcoholindustry
It should be noted that the beverage alcoholindustryisoneofthemostprofitable industries in the world and the products do not usually compete from a cost position, especially in the aged rum segment, but insteadcompetefromthestrengthofitsbrand equity
GuySuCo should be charging more competitive rates for the products being purchased by those in the beverage alcohol industry and they should be insisting on government support to keep external suppliers at a price disadvantage via import duties. Guyanese rum is an authentic and unique product with a national heritage that datesbackcenturies.
It should be protected as such, and we should be insisting on 100% Guyanese sourcedingredientsandcertifyitas"Madein Guyana"withourfamousDemeraraSugar
Itisalsoimportanttonotethatentryinto the rum industry was previously considered by GuySuCo but was neglected. Entry into the rum industry should be relooked at to improve the overall profitability of the Corporation.
The current high market demand for GuyaneseRumcreatedbyourawardwinning El Dorado Rum, which is owned by DemeraraDistillersLimited,hasalsocreated many opportunities for additional Guyanese Rumofferings.
Although Banks DIH Limited has not fully capitalised on this opportunity, which maybeprimarilyduetoashiftintheirfocus, the aged rum market continues to be an attractiveopportunitythatcanbecapitalised on in the local tourist sector, the cruise line industry and in growing foreign premium rumconsumptionmarkets.
CRG recommends that the government provide the resources to make this a viable investment option for GuySuCo during this administration's current term in office. The effective implementation of this strategic initiative will allow GuySuCo to return to profitabilityinthemediumterm.
Bestregards,
JamilChanglee
DearEditor,
TherevelationbytheMinisterthatfunds were being repaid in that online university debacle involving the local entity, while pleasing,somehowsoundedhollow
How much was the sum involved, and whendidrepaymentscommence?Nodetails ofthiswasprovided. It was stated the remainder will be remitted very soon, very shortly Saying thingstokeeptheheatoffcanbeperceivedas notbeingupfront.
Regards
ShamshunMohamed
(CMC) Trinidad and Tobago's Energy Minister, Roodal Moonilal will continue pitching the restart of the Petrotrin refinery at the Guyana Energy Conference, which begins tomorrow, and has assured that the Oilfield Workers' Trade Union (OWTU) remains engaged with the government on all refineryrelatedmatters.
Moonilal confirmed this to the T&T Guardian ahead of his trip to Guyana, where he will participate in the week-long conference A five-memberdelegationwill accompanyhim.
Speaking ahead of yesterday's Maha Shivaratri observances, Moonilal addressed queries about his conference agenda, the refinery restart and the OWTU'sinvolvement.
“We'reextremelyexcited to participate in the Guyana meetings We've been in touch with the authorities there, including their energy leadership and the Office of thePresident,”hesaid.
“We expect to raise several matters of mutual concern, including development of T&T's energy sector and Guyana's energysector,andtheextent to which we can support Guyana's downstream initiatives and other related mattersconcerningtechnical and strategic support for theirnewprojects.”
“Yes,T&T'srefinerywill be on the agenda. It's a priority for Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar and our administration. We intend raising that matter with the authorities in Guyana and with the major oil and gas companies attending this
conference We expect meetings with the highest leadership of ExxonMobil, Chevron, TotalEnergies and Guyana's Natural Resources Ministry.”
Regarding progress on the refinery, Moonilal said the ministry is compiling documents to send to Indian Oil Corporation, which has expressed strong interest in TrinidadandTobago.
“Wemadeacommitment to share important information and we expect thatarrangementwithIndian Oilwillcontinue,”hesaid.
On reported interest by Reliance Industries, one of Asia's largest refiners, Moonilal noted recent reports of the company's significant involvement in Venezuelan oil With its intention to operate in the region and T&T's goal of becoming the Caribbean's
energy hub, he said, “I'm sure Reliance will have a deepening interest in being here, in investments and in usingT&Tasaregionalhub for wider hemispheric participation in the energy landscape.”
Addressing questions about whether the OWTU—currently carrying debts is in a suitable financialpositiontoinvestin the refinery, Moonilal said, “We are involved with the OWTU;theyare,ofcourse,a partnerinouradministration and have worked with us tirelessly for our revolutionary change in April2025.
“Weareintouchwiththe leadershipand,yes,theyare working with us on all matters related to the refinery and other energysectorprojects.Weintendto continue working with the labour movement to ensure thereisoptimalparticipation in change and in restarting therefinery,”headded.
OWTU president Ancil Roget did not respond to queries yesterday regarding the union's specific role in the refinery restart or whether it intends to bid, partner with an entity or provide services Senior OWTU officials said the union remains committed to being part of the restart
Trinidad and Tobago's Energy Minister, Roodal Moonilal wil
process and that tangible efforts towards this are ongoing.
Seeking investment in challengingareas
Looking ahead to the conference, Moonilal said, “We have a mandate to attract investment in T&T's
domestic resources, primarily work related to further drilling in the onshore sector involving Heritage. We'd also like to make a pitch for expanded development of deep and ultra-deep waters in our maritimespace.”
“When we meet the oil majorsinGuyana,weintend raisingmattersofinvestment in T&T regarding both onshore and offshore, and we'd like to raise with some ofthosecompaniesthemore difficultareaswherewemay not have been able to attract investment.”
Moonilal said he is
optimistic about T&T's engagement in Guyana and noted he has been in contact for several months with Guyana'sMinisterofNatural Resources,VickramBharrat. He added that Maha Shivaratri is “an auspicious timetosetfootinGuyanato buildenergypartnershipsfor thenextgeneration.”
He also pointed to US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) licences 49 and 50 as opening “a new gateway” for T&T's energy development.
Praising the Prime Minister's leadership on cross-border energy initiatives, Moonilal said, “Whenyoulookatthecrossborder fields, the Dragon Field and ExxonMobil, we have a sense we're on to something extremely significant that may eventually change T&T's economicfuture.”
Guyana is projecting a decline in new Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) infections this year, with nearly 7,800 persons living with HIV currently on antiretroviral treatment (ARVs) and the majority achieving viral suppression, according to Minister of Health Dr Frank Anthony
Dr Anthony made the disclosure on Friday during the consideration of the Ministry of Health’s 2026 estimates and expenditurebytheCommitteeofSupply We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) Member of Parliament Natasha Singh-Lewis questioned the targeted reduction in the incidence of HIV for 2026 and asked the Minister to outline the interventions supportingtheprojecteddecline.
Minister Anthony explained that HIV incidencereferstothenumberofnewcases recorded annually and noted that the ministryhasstrengtheneditspreventionand transmissionefforts.“Wehaveanumberof preventativeprograms,”Dr Anthonysaid. Hehighlightedongoingpubliceducation campaigns and the availability of preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for persons who consider themselves at risk. The ministryalsodistributesclosetofivemillion condoms annually as part of its national prevention drive. Dr.Anthony said another key intervention is ensuring that persons livingwithHIVareplacedontreatmentand achieve viral suppression, significantly reducingtheriskoftransmission.
“So, if you manage people who already areinfectedwithHIV,andyougetthemtobe virallysuppressed,itmeansthattheycannot transmittosomebodyelse.So,whatwehave beendoingisworkingtoensurethatmostof our patients are virally suppressed… So oncetheyarevirallysuppressed,theycannot transmit,andthathasalsocontributedtothe reductionincases. Thatdoesnotmeanthat wehavetothatwedon’thavetobevigilant,” hestated.
The Minister noted that close to 7,800 patients are currently on ARVs, with most virally suppressed He added that the ministryhasprocuredlaboratoryequipment to conduct viral load testing, allowing for closermonitoringofpatientsontreatment.
Continued on page 15
Senior Minister in the Office of the
President with responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, on Friday robustly defended Guyana’s public procurement framework while outlining ongoing efforts to modernise legislation and accelerate digital reforms aimed at boosting transparencyandefficiency.
Speaking during the consideration of the 2026 budget estimates at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre, Dr. Singh responded to questions regarding procurement oversight, digital fulfilment solutions, and institutional accountability
The Minister explained that while allocations exist within the national budget toadvancethegovernment’sICTanddigital agenda, more substantial investments related to the development and rollout of new fulfilment solutions are being supported through the Ministry of Public Service, Government Efficiency and Implementation
Henotedthathehaspersonallywitnessed demonstrationsofthesystemandanticipates furtherprogressduringthecourseoftheyear
Regarding public procurement legislation, Dr Singh emphasised that Guyana already benefits from a robust legal and institutional framework that supports open, competitive tendering and multiple layers of oversight. “We have the good fortune of having a relatively strong public procurement legislation,” he stated, adding that the framework promotes transparency andcompetitiveoutcomes.
He reminded the House that the constitutional reforms of 2001 led to the establishment of the Public Procurement Commission, whose members are appointed through a constitutionally mandated process involving parliamentary oversight The MinisterdescribedtheCommissionassitting “at the very apex” of the procurement architecture, alongside the National Procurement and Tender Administration Boardandotheradministrativelayers.
While defending the strength of the system, Dr Singh acknowledged that refinementsarepossible.“Weareengagedin an ongoing process of reviewing the procurementActanditsregulations,”hesaid, noting that any amendments would aim to improve effectiveness and adapt to evolving needs, including digital transformation. Addressing suggestions that the Public Procurement Commission be granted executive powers to sanction delinquent contractors, the Minister cautioned against blurring the line between oversight and executiveauthority
“Oversight bodies perform oversight. They issue reports and form opinions,” he ex
Commission’s functions emerged from a bipartisan constitutional reform process and were carefully designed. Dr Singh also commended the transparency of the procurement system, particularly the publication of contract awards online, and welcomed recommendations to further enhance the user-friendliness of digital platforms.
Turning to revenue administration, the Minister provided updates on the petroleum revenue unit within the Guyana Revenue Authority, noting that while some positions remain vacant, the agency has made commendablestridesinbuildingcapacityina relativelyshorttime.
“I think the board and the technical leadership of the GRA should be complimented,” he said, adding that continuous training and technological solutions are being pursued to strengthen oversight, including in relation to cost recoveryaudits.
Dr Singh reaffirmed the government’s commitment to transparency, institutional strengthening and sound financial management, noting that Guyana’s procurementandrevenuesystemscontinueto evolveinlinewithbestpracticesandnational developmentpriorities.(DPI)
There is an old saying in Guyana: when rain falling, don’t wait till yuh mattress wet to look fuh leak. For years, the APNU+AFC warned that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPPC) must be watched with “hawk-like eyes ” Somepeoplelaughed.Some dismissed it as politics. But today, with new questions swirling around the Berbice River Bridge, that warning sounding less like rhetoric andmorelikeadvice.
The Berbice River Bridge was built under a concession arrangement backedbytheBerbiceRiver Bridge Act 2006. The Act clearly says that when the concession period expires, the bridge must revert to the State — free and clear of encumbrances In plain language: at the end of the concession, the bridge becomes the property of the peopleofGuyana.
For years, it has been widely assumed that the concession period runs for 21 years. Many were led to
believethatitbeganin2006 when the agreement was signed. Under the common understanding — 21 years from2006—theconcession wouldexpirein2027.Under that timeline, the bridge would soon become public property without the Government having to buy it.
That is why alarm bells should have rung last year when the Government signaled that negotiations might have to be held with the Bridge company as part of a broader transportation policy Then more people should have paused. They should have asked, “Why negotiations?”What is there tonegotiate?
Then came the recent statement from a Minister that the Government is finalisingtheprocessforfull acquisition of the Berbice RiverBridge.Thatstatement has raised more than eyebrows It has raised serious questions Why acquisition? Why buy something that, under the
law, is expected to revert to the State? The explanation offeredwasthatbringingthe bridge fully under state control would remove the financial burden on commuters and enhance infrastructure integration Thatsoundsgood.
Nobody likes tolls Nobody objects to better transportation planning. But goodintentionsdonotcancel the need for scrutiny. One letter writer, Hemdutt Kumar,askedthemostbasic of them: why is the Government moving to acquire the bridge when, fromnextyear,itwillbethe State’sforfree?Thatisnota political question. That is a common-sensequestion.
The entire assumption rests on the belief that the concession agreement runs for 21 years beginning in 2006. If that is correct, then theexpiryisnear Ifexpiryis near, and the Act mandates reversion, then acquisition shouldnotrequirepayment.
Except for one very importantdetail.
Dis week, news hot like pepper soup! Word come round say de government look like dem swimmin’in money—so much so dat dem tinking fuh buy de Berbice River Bridge…wahsupposetobefreenextyear!
Free! But dem seh nah, “Better pay now,” like yuh paying full price fuh something today when de shop giving it awaytomorrow
People out dey seh, “Is dis a golden handshake fuh de investors? A bridge mek peoplecrossriversafe,butifitisgoingtobe freesoon,whyyuhrushtobuy?
And leh we not forget de other ting. Some persons getting richer dan river in rainy season. People asking, “How dem all getsowell-offwhenwecatchingpurehell?” One lady did seh how the cost of living so high that she need a man for weekday and anotherforweekend.
Well, it look like some persons gat a houseforweekday,anotheroneforweekend and a few extra fuh dem holidays. Rent rising, groceries tight, but some persons living like dem find treasure map in
backyard.
Now, dem boys nah say success is a crime.Butwhenyuhjumpfromsalarytobig money faster than speedboat, people does starttalk.AndyuhknowhowGuyaneselike talk—whentalkstart,itspreadlikewildfire.
Demboyssehdeoilandgasblessingde country, but some folks seem to have dem own private oil well in de living room. Meanwhile, ordinary people still dey hustle forbread,water,andmaybealikklesugar
Whengovernmentbuysomethingabout tobefree,andofficialslookinglikedemwin lotto,perceptionmashup.Andperceptionin politics? Powerful. More powerful than mosquitoinwetseason.
Soifdebridgeneedfuhbuynow,explain it good. Dem boys seh, if dem keep buying tingsdatsoongon’befree,peoplemightjust build dey own raft, sail de river, and start chargingofficialstoll.
And if officials getting rich, share de secret.Everybodydeservealilbitadviceto bepartofdeGuyanadream.
Talkhalf.Leffhalf.
Frompage3
trained about 200 nurses annually across its threenursingschools.Thenewhybridmodel delivers theoretical instruction online through the Coursera platform, while practical training is conducted in newly established simulation centres across the country, followed by hospital exposure “We’ll have by June of this year, the first batch of close to 800 registered nurses that willbegraduating,”theministerdisclosed. The programme is part of a broader training expected to see 5,000 individuals
The Concession Agreement itself the document that actually governs the concession period—hasnotbeenmade public.
It is not attached to the Act. The Act sets out the framework. It requires that the agreement provide for reversion. But the Act does not specify the exact duration. That is left to the ConcessionAgreement.And that agreement has not been placedbeforethepeople.We do not know, with certainty, whethertheperiodisexactly 21 years from 2006. We do not know whether there are extensionclauses.Wedonot know whether amendments have been made over the years We do not know whether financial triggers, vehicle thresholds, or renegotiations have altered thetimeline.
Inshort,weareoperating on assumption And governanceshouldneverrun onassumption.
This is where the earlier
warning returns to the front o f t h e p a g e T h e APNU+AFCrepeatedlysaid that the PPPC must be watched carefully If the bridge is due to revert soon, the Government should clearlystatetheexactexpiry date under the Concession Agreement If acquisition now makes financial sense compared to waiting, then show the numbers. If there are legal constraints that require negotiation, disclose them Silence breeds suspicion. The media, too, mustreflect.Itisnotenough to report statements. It is necessary to interrogate them. When “negotiations” were first mentioned, follow-up questions should have been automatic. When “acquisition” was announced,thefirstquestion shouldhavebeen:whatisthe remaining term of the concession?Instead,ittooka letter writer to voice what many citizens were quietly thinking. This is not about being anti-government. It is not
aboutstoppingdevelopment. If the bridge is to become public property next year under the law, then the people deserve clarity If it will not, then the people deservetoknowwhy Hawklike eyes are not about hostility They are about responsibility
In a country now managing oil wealth and billion-dollar infrastructure, vigilancecannotbeoptional. TheBerbiceBridgequestion is a reminder that laws matter, agreements matter, and transparency matters even more. Rain does not warnbeforeitfalls.Betterto look at the roof now than waituntilthebedissoaked.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
graduating this year across various health disciplines. The hybrid nursing model has alsoattractedinterestfromseveralCaribbean countries facing similar shortages, with agreements expected to allow regional participation.
Additionally, the expansion of 130 telemedicinesitesacrossGuyanaisenabling residents in remote communities to access online nursing education without leaving theirvillages,significantlyexpandingaccess toprofessionaltrainingandstrengtheningthe nationalhealthsystem.(DPI)
The PNC’s Dr T e r r e n c e Campbell gets credit for highlighting costof-living pains experienced by poor Guyanese in the nation’s consciousness
Though he tracked the footsteps of some from civil
society and others elsewhere, Dr Campbell earns recognition for wanting to do something
tangible about such
Something that would make Guyana’s struggling sit-up, and the PPP Govt. brace itself. Like peaceful street protests.
Unfortunately, due to some mysterious internal dynamics within the PNC, Dr Campbell’s idea suffocated from lack of oxygen. Thus,theextending
of the PPP-created shrine at whichthehopesofGuyanese were sacrificed, their blood spilled in droplets first, then torrentssince.
Enter Mr Azruddin Mohamed of a curious new political party with a peculiarlyhaughtyacronym, WIN. He hung his sharp spursonthehornsofcost-ofliving and corruption, and fighting to do better for Guyaneseonboth.
Cost-of-living pressures grindpoorGuyaneseintothe swamps, while corruptions gore the senses into a coma. Good choices for there is much palpable raw material with which to work. Plus, there is Mr Mohamed himself reportedly possessingthemostpractical education and intimate
insights on how the local corruption culture operates. The man for the two jobs, and he could be a difference maker if around long enough A gatherer of disgruntled voters, also, which frightens the PPP endlessly
Enter Dr Ashni Singh, PPP Govt. man, and man of national budgets that make countless Guyanese into miniatures of themselves (midgets are socially unacceptable). Once Dr Singh is given a close hearingwhatemergesisthat hisbudgetsarefakeworksof art, blueprints of imperiling beauty Itislamentablethat a man of the intellectual prowess of Ashni Singh could be so lacking in insight He has a real
doctorate,isamagicianwith the numbers, and believes his own propaganda Indeed, a fine mind is a terrible thing to waste According to Dr Singh he and his government’s budgetsareforallGuyanese. The PPPbudgets are for the people.
Idiffer;humblytablethis question for Dr Singh, which a man of his caliber should have absolutely no troubleanswering. Sincethe budgets,noneasmuchasthe 2026 budget, are so bright with provisions for all Guyanese, how is it that impoverished, underwater seabed walking Guyanese have so much difficulty gettingabite? Aproperbite with the proper vitals at the propertimes.
Abudget for the people, dear Dr Singh, means that the poor and famished in Guyana get something from the budget From the budget,sire. Citizenscannot eat the budget, either its grand numbers, or it glowering narratives. It is why cost-of-living is now a greater moral and emotional issue for Guyana’s cashchallenged and food-
deficient. The PNC’s Dr Campbell was onto to that burning something, that defining issue, but which appears to have been consigned to a premature cremation inside his party
The PNC’s lost opportunity is WIN’s Mohamed groundbreaking moment
What is there that could generate more awakening, more passion, than cost-ofliving torments in Guyanese whohavebeenleftbehindby record budget after record budget?
A cruel and disasterprone PPPGovt. knows that it has erred egregiously yearly with its budget portions for the poor, the d o w n t r o d d e n , t h e despairing. All eyes and fingers are pointed in the direction of the PPP Govt. anditssmirkingfatcatsnow rendered ever more rotund from the rich harvests from Guyana’s oilfields, goldfields, and lush budgetaryfields.
From the poor’s perspective, the barbarians aren’tapproachingthegates. For the most part, the ruthless barbarians are already inside the gates, and
havesetupshopinOfficeof the President, Office of the PrimeMinister,Officeofthe Vice President (why no rebuttaltopoliticalopponent claiming to be the PPP bankroller?), and the Office of Budget Creativity and Controls in the Ministry of Finance. Amanasuntoward as Nicholas Maduro in his p r i m e c o u l d h a v e redistributedVenezuela’soil money to where it gave the biggestbang.
The tragedy here is that the people with the power and the purse prefer to keep theeconomicsjustthewayit has always been. More millions set aside for the local Midas(es), a coat of cow dung for the weak, vulnerable children of Guyana.
Cost-of-living is now a Guyanese tragedy Campbell faltered Mohamed forges ahead on what looks like borrowed time.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinionsofthisnewspaper.)
Stabroek News did not close because Guyanese lacked money. It closed because too many lacked commitment. Even if you got your news from social media, there was a moral obligation to defend press freedom because we all know that when press freedom goes what happens. It would have only cost a mere $100 per weekday and $150 on Sundays.
Guyana now faces the closure of its oldest independent newspaper. This is not just the loss of a business. It is a serious blow to press freedom. It narrows the space for independent thought. It weakens accountability. It diminishes public debate. If there is a lesson in this moment, it is that democracy demands participation. Supporting independent journalism is one such form of participation. The Guyanese people once stood in lines for a single copy of Stabroek News. In the end, they allowed it to fade away.
History will record that the paper fought many battles. But in its final battle for survival, it stood largely alone (Peeping Tom February 15, 2026)
“I have zero powers to instruct thepersonsittingnexttome,tobeat him, because it sounds like the memberwantsmetobeathim,todo what she thinks he’s supposed to do,totellhimwhattodo,toadvise himwhattodo…”
Those were the words of MinisterofLocalGovernmentand Regional Development, Priya Manickchand, on Friday as she maintained that her hands are tied regarding the five-month impasse at the Region 10 Regional DemocraticCouncil(RDC),where the election of a chairman remains unresolved.
The Minister made the remark as Region Ten Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John sat besideherduringtheCommitteeof Supply’sconsiderationofthe2026 budget estimates and expenditure. AttheSeptember1,2025Regional Elections,WeInvestinNationhood (WIN), led by businessman Azruddin Mohamed, secured the most votes in Region 10, a region traditionally dominated by the People’s National Congress Reform(PNC/R).
On October 10, 2025, 18 Councillorswereswornin:ninefor WIN, five for A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), three for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and one for Forward Movement Guyana (FGM). The initial RDC election endedina9-9tiebetweenWINand APNUnominees.
Since then, REO John suspendedtheprocessandreferred
Protestors stood in a line in the vicinity of the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) in Linden last month with placards and chanted in support of having a chairman sworn in.
Minister of Local Government and Regional Development, Priya Manickchand (centre) and Region Ten Regional Executive Officer (REO) Dwight John (left) before the Committee of Supply’sconsideration of the 2026 budget estimates and expenditure on Friday.
themattertotheMinister,wholater clarifiedshehasnoroleinselecting the chair and expressed hope that theprocesswouldbeconcluded.
Morethanfivemonthslater,the REO has not reconvened the RDC to resume the election. WIN and FGM have formally written to the
REO,andWINalsostagedaprotest outsidehisoffice.
During Friday’s proceedings, FGM Member of Parliament Amanza Walton-Desir questioned whethertheMinister’sreferenceto changing habits within local democratic organs included training for RDC staff to ensure compliance with the laws of Guyana.
As the questioning continued, the Minister responded, “Mr Speaker, the Honourable Member, is doing this quiet, circuitous, intellectual,kind,tocomebacktoa matter that I have addressed publicly.”
She reiterated that in 2018 the APNU+AFCgovernmentamended the Local Democratic Organs Act, removing several powers from the Minister,includingtheauthorityto makedeterminationsintheeventof atieforpositionssuchasaregional chairmanship.
“The act was specifically changed by the then members government to remove any power from the minister, So I have zero powerstoinstructthepersonsitting nexttome,tobeathim,becauseIit sounds like the member wants me tobeathetodowhatshethinkshe’s supposed to do, to tell him what to do,toadvisehimwhattodoandany opinion I offer on the matter is liable to be subjected to a claim of bias, either deliberate or unintentional bias,” the Minister added.
While WIN has contended that ManickchandcaninstructtheREO to recall the RDC meeting, she again stressed that she cannot interfere in the process. Notably, Region Ten remains the only administrative region without a chairman and vice-chairman. Last year, President IrfaanAli swore in regional heads for the other nine regions.
The backlands of Port Mourant are rapidly transforming into a major traininghubasPresidentDr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali formally declared the Guyana Technical Training College Inc (GTTCI) open onSaturday
With this investment, Region Six has been designated as the capital for nationaloilandgastechnical training, marking a new era of economic and industrial development Built with world-class, state-of-the-art facilities, the institution will help mould a highly skilled Guyanese workforce who will secure high-income careersintechnicalandother advancedindustries.
Thousands of Guyanese
will receive hands-on technical and practical training, eliminating the need to travel to Canada to access such training. “It is one of the, if not the most strategic investment we have made so far in the oil and gas,” President Ali declared in his keynote address, before stating that, “It will develop our w
workforce, an investment in thefutureofourcountry
The president noted that while the institution was designed initially for the Guyanese workforce, “it will be available to Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago and further afield; all those who are going in
President Irfaan Ali during his tour of the facility.
Duringtheconsideration of estimates of Budget 2026 for the Ministry of Labour and Manpower Planning, Minister Keoma Griffith revealed that the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Council is expectedtobere-established duringthecourseofthisyear
Speaking to the National Assembly, Arthur Chung Conference Centre on
Wednesday, Minister Griffith admitted that the council is currently in an inactivestate,butguaranteed that this would not be the casebytheendof2026.“Itis intended for it (the reestablishment) to be done within this period, within 2026,”hesaid.
TheLabourMinisterwas also questioned on the current organisational
structure of the OSH Department, to which he indicated that the ministry’s department is under the guidanceofaconsultantwith a host of experience. “We haveaconsultantwhoworks withtheministry;infact,her experience in occupational health and safety carries the weight of in excess of 50 years So, she is most certainly qualified to advise us,” Minister Griffith underscored.
Minister Griffith also used the opportunity to express confidence in the teamofOccupationalHealth and Safety Officers that provide their services to the nation, praising their ability and efficiency “Apart from this,wehavealotofcapable andwellqualifiedpersonsin the department who are able
to effectively carry out their duties as health and safety officers,” the minister acknowledged.
Ministryalsoannouncedthat it is hiring additional Occupational Health and Safety Officers. This, the Minister explained, is
representation nationwide “The reason for the increase in the line [item] is the employmentofoccupational health safety and health officers so that there can be representation in all of the regions,” Minister Griffith explained Following the considerationofestimates,a total of $1.7 billion was approvedtofurtherthework oftheLabourandManpower PlanningMinistry (DPI)
deepseadrilling.” President Ali noted that the investment is also intended to transform the institution into the world’s leading oil and gas training centreoverthenextcentury, anchoring the country’s role in energy services and technical innovation
“When we are 100 years into oil and gas, we will be the number one training facility in the world,” the Presidentunderscored.
Henotedthatthetraining centre forms part of a broader development strategy for Region Six, positioning it as a premier hub for technical and professional education Alongside the centre, investments in a nursing
school,ateachinghospitalin N e w A m s t e r d a m , agricultural
facilities, and the Tourism and Hospitality Institute are driving the region’s transformation and laying the foundation for sustained growth.
“The Minister of Agriculture is not here by accident,” he said before announcing that, “He also will be tasked with ensuring that there will be a state-ofthe-artagriculturaltraining facility in Region Six to s u p p o r t t h e industrialisation of agriculture and to support the development of a food industry.”
The president also emphasised that the
investment in Port Mourant fits into the People’s Progressive Party/Civic Administration’s vision for national development, through economic diversification and skills training, with phase two of the gas-to-energy project slatedfordevelopmenthere. President Ali also recognisedtheyoungpeople undergoing training at the ceremony, particularly young women, and commended Professor ClementSankat,theGCCI’s director, and his team, including the local contractor, for bringing the vision to life. ExxonMobil’s President, Alistair Routledge,recalled
Continued on page 16
Residents of Schoonard, West Bank Demerara, mostly single mothers living near the Guyana–China Friendship Park (JoeVieiraPark),havebeenissued eviction notices, demanding that theyrelocatewithinaweektoallow thecontinuationofconstructionfor arecreationalpark.
The affected residents have beenwarnedthatlegalactioncould follow if they remain in their homes.
The homes in the area include both concrete and well-built wooden structures. A resident, a single mother of two young children who has lived in the area forthreeyears,sharedherconcerns with Kaieteur News. She revealed thatatotalofninehomes,including thoseofthreeothersinglemothers, had received two previous notices from the Regional Democratic Council and the Ministry of Housing between November and December 2025. Now, they have been issued a third notice, urging themtorelocatewithinsevendays.
The eviction is being enforced due to the construction of the Guyana–China Friendship Joe Vieira Park, which is reportedly 83% complete as of October 2025 and slated to open in the first quarter of 2026 The resident explained that work cannot
continuewhilepeopleremaininthe area, and that the contractor is already paid, with further delays leading to additional costs. “When a representative of the Ministry of Housingreachedouttome,hetold methatweneedtorelocateasearly as possible because where we living, we disrupting works going on because they already paid the contractor and we slowing up the progress,becauseifwedon’tmove, we got to pay the contractor
additionalmoney,”shesaid.
Though the resident was allocatedaplotoflandlikeothersin the area, she noted that the land is underdeveloped, lacking essential utilities like water and electricity
“Thereisnolight,thereisnowater The place isn’t fully developed as yet.Igotsmallchildrentocarryto school. Howarewegoingtomove onanemptyland?”shesaid.
The resident explained that no formalmeetingshadbeenheldwith
Some of the houses, which residents spent years building, are now being marked for relocation.
the residents to discuss a proper relocation plan Instead, after returning home from work, they wouldfindnoticestuckedintotheir doorsandmarkingsontheirhomes.
“ Nobody coming to meet us. You would find things stick up on the door,theywouldmarkthebuilding and they would push letters under thedoor,”shesaid.
This latest notice has left the mother of two uncertain about her nextsteps.“Wewantotherofficials toseewhatisgoingandwewantthe government to come with a better solution. Asaparent,Idon’tknow whatisthenextmove.WhereamI going to go? Even though I have a landitisnotfullydeveloped.Ifthey wantustomovesobadlytheymust beabletobreachouttoustocome upwitharesolutiontosatisfyboth of us. We are willing to go if they assist.It’snotwhatyoudobuthow youdoit,”shesaid.
Another long-time resident, VibertGarnett,whohaslivedinthe area for 10 years, also expressed frustration.Thisisthefirsttimehe hasreceivedanevictionnotice.He mentioned that many residents, uponhearingofthelandallocation process, applied for relocation.
Some were given plots in remote areas with no water or electricity, whileGarnetthasyettoreceiveany updates about his situation. “They saidwehavetomoveassoonaswe
get the land, but no one from the Ministry of Housing has reached outtome,”hesaid.
On Saturday, Opposition LeaderAzruddinMohamedvisited the area to listen to the residents’ concerns The We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) party is calling on the Ministry of Housing to develop a fair, humane, and workable relocation plan, in consultation with affected residents.
In a statement, the party criticised the one-week notice giventoresidents,withoneresident expressing dissatisfaction that it took him three years to build his home only to be told to vacate in suchashorttime.Thepartyfurther stated, “No suitable alternative housing arrangements have been provided, nor has reasonable consideration been given to their circumstances Many of these families are of limited financial means and simply cannot afford to build or rent elsewhere on such shortnotice.”
Additionally, some residents who do not own land were summoned to the housing department, expecting to receive house lots or turnkey homes Instead, they were told they would needtopaya$500,000upfrontfee tosecureanallocation,asummany cannotaffordatthistime.
Georgetown City Mayor Alfred Mentore has announced that the council may pursue a partnership with Corporate Guyana to fund the construction of a new vending facility for displaced Bourda vendors if the Ministry of Local Government does not provide additional financial support.
Speaking to Kaieteur News on Saturday, Mayor Mentore explained that the estimated amount allocated for the development of Merriman’s Mall and green spaceisinsufficienttocreate a modern, stable, and comfortablevendingfacility Under the Georgetown Enhancement Programme, a total of $28 billion has been allocated, with $58 million designated for infrastructural development, including works at Merriman’s Mall and the construction of a basicvendingshed.
However, the Mayor emphasised that this sum wouldonlycoverthecostof asimplestructure.
“Oursumforthemarket isabitmore.$50millionfor that place will just build an ordinaryshed.Wewanttodo something proper Based on our design and the quantity, it would be more than $50 million With their $50 million and our amount, it may cost just over $100 million,”hesaid.
The Mayor also confirmed that the City Councilhasformallywritten to the Ministry of Local Government and Regional Development, requesting a 50% contribution from the government to fund the project.“Wealreadypenned her a letter based on the council’s decision to ask for a 50 per cent contribution. Whatever it costs, we will have to pay the difference, but ideally it must be a collaborative approach. We
Merrimans Mall proposed drawings.
don’t want to build any ordinary shed in the middle of the city It must be something that makes sense,”hesaid. While the funds have been budgeted, Mentore expressed uncertainty about when the allocation will be approved through the Committee of Supply process. “Now that I know that that sum has been budgeted, I guess it will be allocated at some point through their system of allocation. We don’t know
when that sum will be put towards that project, but we havealreadywrittentothem about their contribution and our contribution so we can do a collaborative job that will make sense in the community,” the mayor stated.
If the government assistance is not provided, the council is exploring a public-private partnership with Corporate Guyana to ensurethattheprojectmoves forward. “We want to make surethatwehavethefundsif
frompage8
Addressing concerns about access to services in hinterland regions such as Regions One, Eight and Nine, Dr Anthony said primary healthcare physicians across the countryhavebeentrainedto manage HIV cases, reducing reliance on a centralised system Complicated cases, he explained, are referred to specialists when necessary, but most patients now live
long,healthylivesonARVs. “Before HIV was like a death sentence, so when peoplegetitafteracoupleof years,youseetheyprogress toAIDSandtheydie.”
“Now we don’t see that most of our patients are living and most of them probably died from something else, heart diseaseorsomeotherthing. So,theydoverywellonthe ARVs and that, I think that, in itself, has been a success story for the HIV
programme,” Dr. Anthony added. Hefurtherdisclosedthat the HIV programme is also beingusedasanentrypoint to test for and treat other sexu
ed infections, including syphilis, gonorrhea and chlamydia. “So, we have been setting up clinics, goingout,raisingawareness andwhilewearedoingitfor HIV,therearealsoanumber ofSTIsthatwelookfor,”he noted.
the government does not pass down the allocated funds. We are looking at different options, including partnerships with the business community,” he said.
Currently, the project is in the design phase, and the council is awaiting discussions with Minister Priya Manickchand The Merriman’s Mall project, located between Orange Walk and Cummings Street, aims to accommodate vendors displaced from BourdaMarket.
The facility is expected to house approximately 70 v e n d o r s f r o m t h e surrounding area This initiative follows the recent displacement of 15 vendors who had been operating in frontofabakeryatthecorner of Robb and Alexander Streets.
Their stalls were dismantledfollowingaHigh Court order, leaving many vendors without alternative vendingspace.
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(ALJAZEERA) The Israeli government has approved a proposal to register large areas of the occupied West Bank as “state property” for the first time since the Israeli occupation of the territorybeganin1967.
Israelipublicbroadcaster Kan on Sunday said the proposal was submitted by farrightFinanceMinisterBezalel Smotrich, Justice Minister Yariv Levin and Defence MinisterIsraelKatz.“Weare continuing the settlement revolution to control all our lands,”Smotrichsaid.
Most Palestinian land is not formally registered becauseitisalong,complicated processthatIsraelstoppedin 1967.Registrationoflandestablishes permanent ownership. International law states an occupying power cannot confiscate or settle land in occupiedterritories.ThePalestinianPresidencyslammed the Israeli government’s decision, calling it a “serious escalation” and saying the Israelimoveineffectnullifies signed agreements and clearly contradicts resolutions of the United Nations Security Council, the Palestinian news agency Wafa reported. Katz described the
move as an “essential security and governance measure designed to ensure control, enforcementandfullfreedom of action for the State of Israel in the area”, The JerusalemPostnewspaperreported.
Last week, the Israeli SecurityCabinetapprovedmeasures promoted by Smotrich andKatzthatfurtherfacilitate theunlawfulseizureofPalestinian land in the occupied West Bank.
‘Nullandvoiddecision’
The Palestinian group Hamas condemned the decision, calling it an attempt “to steal and Judaise lands in the occupied West Bank by registering them as so-called ‘statelands’”.Inastatement, the group – which led the October2023attacksonIsrael and fought Israel in its genocidal war in the Gaza Strip –calledtheapproval“anulland void decision issued by an illegitimateoccupyingpower”.
“It is an attempt to forcibly impose settlement and Judaisation on the ground, in flagrant violation of international law and relevant UN resolutions,” it added. Analysts described the move as a de facto annexation of the Palestinianterritory,warning thatitwillprofoundlyreshape
its civil and legal landscape byeliminatingwhattheIsraeli ministerscalledlongstanding “legalobstacles”totheexpansion of illegal settlements there. Speaking from Ramallah in the West Bank, political analyst Xavier Abu EidtoldAlJazeerathatIsrael is “packing annexation into some sort of a bureaucratic move”. He said the Interna-
tionalCourtof
saidIsraeliactionsamountto annexationoftheWest
“People should understand this is not just a step towards annexation.Weareexperiencing annexation as we speak today What the Israeli government is doing is implantingtheirpoliticalprogramme – a policy that has already been presented,” he said.
From page 13
discussions with PresidentAli in 2021 about maximising opportunitiesforGuyaneseinthenaturalresourcessector. Like the president, Routledge noted that world-class, state-of-theart facilities are essential to developing a highly skilled workforcecapableofparticipatinginthecountry’sexpanding oil and gas industry
GTTCDirector,ProfessorClementSankat,creditedPresidentAliandhisadministrationfortranslatingthatvisioninto reality. “This was once the backdam; today it represents a transformationinaction,”heremarked.HecommendedPresidentAli for shaping opportunities for communities and residents, particularly in rural Port Mourant.
The professor noted that even before its formal opening, the school had already commenced training. Two cohorts of students have already completed the programme and have successfully secured employment. The 18-month intensive residentialprogrammeculminatesinagloballyrecogniseddiploma in oil and gas operations. The project was constructed through a partnership between the Government of Guyana, ExxonMobilGuyanaLimited(EMGL),HessandCNOOC.Joining the president were First Lady,AryaAli, newly appointed ChancelloroftheUniversityofGuyana,SirRonaldSaunders, ministersofgovernment,andotherofficials. (DPI)
661-2828.
TheGovernmentof Guyana has spent approximately $9.8 billion to date on the office complex at the Haags Boscharea,ontheEastBank ofDemerara.
Withanother$6.8billion allocated to the project this year, the price for the complexisnowestimatedat astaggering$19.6billion,up from its initial estimate of $15.8billion,asindicatedin the2026Budget.
In 2025, government budgeted over $1 billion to streamline the project,
however, between November and December in 2025, government paid the contractor, Caribbean Green Building Inc, an additional $1billiontocompleteworks onthestructure.Anadvance was taken from the contingency fund for the project, being executed under the Ministry of Public Works, head by Minister JuanEdghill.
On Friday evening, the National Assembly scrutinised Financial Paper Number Two of 2025, amounting to $18.8 billion whichincludedthesumof$1 billion for the office complex.
As such, questions were raised by opposition parliamentarian for the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), Ganesh Mahipaul.
For his part, Mahipaul was concerned about the “urgent and unforeseen” expenditure that amounted to a whopping $1 billion at theendof2025.
He told the National Assembly that another billion-dollars was poured intothefacilitywhichisstill incomplete.
The public works minister however described the advance taken for the projectasademonstrationof “good governance”
…cost now projected to reach $19.6 billion
highlighting that more work was done on the multicomplex structure than anticipated.
Mahipaul however argued, “So far we have approved in this house, I think, close to $8.6B for the project that is being executed. The laws of this country speak to paying for measuredworkandwhatwe areseeingbeforeoureyesat theHaagsBoschlandfillsite area with these four buildings to form the government complex does notequatetoover$8B.”
To this end, the opposition MP questioned why the sum was handed over and not catered for in this year’s budget
Additionally, he asked whether there were urgent works required and to state theurgentworksexecuted.
Edghill did not state whether the activities financed the amount sought was “urgent” but explained, “The need for the contingency fund advance was to ensure that the contractor was paid we must be able to celebrate why,wearegettingitdoneso fastandthat’swhatwedid.”
The minister also providedabreakdownonthe total expenditure on the incompleteproject.
Thesumof$3.17billion was spent on piling and foundation works for the structures,whichisnow100 percentcomplete.
Another$3.10billionhas been expended on structural worksforthecomplexwhich according to minister Edghill “represented 78 per cent of the budget for structural work whether it is in the utility building or the complex.”
Meanwhile, a further $1.1billionwasexpendedon site preparation, grubbing and sand filling of the land for the project, with $1.24
19,601,387 6,816,000
The 2026 Budget includes the sum of $6.8B for the project which is now pegged at $19.6B
billion spent for design and finaldesigndeliverables. Urgentaudit
Inaninvitedcommenton Sunday,MPMahipaulcalled on the Auditor General (AG), Deodat Sharma to conduct an urgent audit of theexpensesassociatedwith theproject.
H e c o n t e n d e d “government is pulling out money and expending but
youarenotseeingthatwork with your naked eyes when you look at the project. I am calling on the AG to audit these huge expenses he muststopoperatinglikeheis in bed with the PPP If he continueslikethiswhichwe have no confidence in him, we will not support his extension that he is asking for.” Stabroek News reported
last week that Minister Edghillexpectsthecomplex to be completed in January 2027, pushing the deadline fromAugust2026.
The complex will feature four towers with a c a p a c i t y t o h o l d approximately 6,000 staff, built on 20 acres of land
The project is intended to increase efficiency by consolidating government
agencies into one location, improving on the delivery ofservices
“Rather than people running from different placestogetservicefroman agency,severalagencieswill beinonecomplex.So,when youdrivethereandyoupark andyoucomeout,youcould get several services done,” Minister Edghill previously explained.
MUNICH, Feb 15 (Reuters) - European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reflected a feeling of profound change among European leaders at this weekend's Munich Security Conference when she said: "Some lines have been crossed that cannot be uncrossedanymore".
Transatlantic ties have already been strained over the past year by Donald Trump's return to the White House But the U S president's push to annex Greenland dramatically increased European doubts about Washington's commitment to protect the continentthroughtheNATO alliance.U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio offered limited reassurance to Europeans in his conference speech. Rubio said the U.S. wantedtoworkwithEurope andusedawarmertonethan VicePresidentJDVancelast year But he was critical of Europe's recent political course and did not mention NATO, Russia or Moscow's war in Ukraine - issues on which a gulf has emerged between the U.S. and its partnersinthealliance.With
thewarabouttoenteritsfifth yearandMoscowviewedas an increasing threat by its European neighbours, leaders from the continent
declared they would accelerate efforts to boost their own defences and rely less on the U.S.That, in theory, puts them on the same page as Trump. His administration says it expects Europe to take primary responsibility for the conventional defence of the continent in the coming years. In return,Washington will keep its nuclear umbrella over Europe and uphold NATO's mutual defencepact.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President E
l Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledgedtheircommitmentin Munich to a stronger “European pillar” within NATO.Butastrongerhomegrown defence is also a hedge against Trump or a future U.S. leader deciding not to defend Europe. “This newbeginningisrightunder all circumstances. It is right
continuestodistanceitself.It isrightaslongaswecannot guarantee our own security on our own,” Merz told the conferenceonFriday
In another sign of the nervousness surrounding U.S. security commitments, Merzsaidhehadbeguntalks with Macron about a E u r o p e a n n u c l e a r deterrence. France holds the only truly independent nuclear deterrent in Europe since Britain's Trident nuclear missiles are made and maintained by the UnitedStates.
The big question for Europe and its leaders is whethertheycanmatchtheir words with deeds – to buy and develop new weapons systems, to fill gaps in their arsenals in areas such as long-range missiles and to coordinatetheirwork.
The signs so far are mixed.Driven by fears of Russia and exhortations from Trump, European countries have boosted defence spending NATO members agreed last year to raise spending on core defence from 2% of GDPto 3.5% of GDP, with a further
Danish Navy vessels sail near the frigate Niels Juel as Danish and French armed forces perform military drills off the coast of Nuuk, Greenland, September 15, 2025.
1.5% to be spent on other s e c
defence spending has risen nearly 80% since before the war in Ukraine began, von der Leyen told the Munich conference.
European countries are forming consortia to build complex weapons systems. Defence ministers from France, Germany, Italy, PolandandSwedensigneda letter of intent on Thursday t
EuropeanLong-rangeStrike Approach(ELSA),aproject to develop “deep strike” missiles. On the sidelines of a NATO defence ministers' meeting on Thursday, coalitions of European
countries agreed to work together on four projects, including ballistic missile defence and air-launched munitions.
PROJECTSSTRUGGLE DUETOSQUABBLES
But some high-profile pan-European projects have struggled to get off the ground. The future of the FCAS French-GermanSpanish fighter jet project has been in the balance for months, with the partners unable to agree on the share of work for the companies involved.
Debates on European Uniondefenceprojectshave been accompanied by wranglingoverwhetherthey should be limited to EU
companiesoropentoothers. France has been the strongest advocate to “buy European” provisions while the likes of Germany and The Netherlands argue for a more open approach. Amid the debates in the swanky Bayerischer Hof hotel, Ukrainian P
kiy brought home the reality of modern war, surrounded by giant screens showing images and statistics of Russian attacks. Last month alone, Ukraine was attacked by more than 6,000 drones and 150 missiles. “During this war, weapons evolve faster than political decisions meant to stop them,”hetoldthedelegates.
Feb 15 (Reuters) - Iran is pursuinganuclearagreementwith the U.S. that delivers economic benefits for both sides, an Iranian diplomatwasreportedassayingon Sunday, days before a second roundoftalksbetweenTehranand Washington.
Iran and the U.S. renewed negotiations earlier this month to tackle their decades-long dispute over Tehran's nuclear programme and avert a new military confrontation.
The U.S. has dispatched a secondaircraftcarriertotheregion and is preparing for the possibility ofasustainedmilitarycampaignif the talks do not succeed, U.S. officialshavetoldReuters.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, speaking at a news conference in Bratislava, said PresidentDonaldTrumphadmade it clear that he would prefer diplomacy and a negotiated settlement,whilemakingclearthat maynothappen.
"Noone'severbeenabletodoa successfuldealwithIranbutwe're goingtotry,"Rubiosaid. Iran has threatened to strike
U.S.basesintheMiddleEastifitis attacked by U.S. forces but on Sundaytookaconciliatoryline.
"Forthesakeofanagreement's durability, it is essential that the U.S. also benefits in areas with high and quick economic returns," foreignministrydeputydirectorfor economic diplomacy Hamid Ghanbari said, according to the semi-officialFarsnewsagency
"Common interests in the oil and gas fields, joint fields, mining investments, and even aircraft purchases are included in the negotiations," Ghanbari said, arguing that the 2015 nuclear pact withworldpowershadnotsecured U.S.economicinterests.
In 2018, Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pact that had eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for curbs on its nuclear programme, and re-applied tough economic sanctionsonTehran.
On Friday, a source told Reuters that a U.S. delegation including envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner would meet Iranian officials in Geneva on Tuesday,ameetinglaterconfirmed to Reuters by a senior Iranian
officialonSunday
"Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner will be traveling, I think they are traveling right now, to haveimportantmeetingsandwe'll see how that turns out," Rubio said, without providing further details.
We want to make Iran great again,andweareallcomingfrom alldifferentpartsofEurope.
Whiletalksleadingtothe2015 nuclearpactweremultilateral,the current negotiations are confined toIranandtheUnitedStates,with Omanactingasmediator
Iran's Foreign MinisterAbbas Araqchi left Tehran for Geneva to take part in the indirect nuclear talks with the U.S. and meet the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, and others, his ministry said.
DeputyForeignMinisterMajid Takht-Ravanchi signalled Iran's readiness to compromise on its nuclear programme in return for sanctionsrelief,tellingtheBBCon Sunday that the ball was "in America's court to prove that they wanttodoadeal."
The senior official referred to theIranianatomicchief'sstatement on Monday that the country could agree to dilute its most highly enriched uranium in exchange for the lifting of sanctions as an exampleofIran'sflexibility
However, he reiterated that Tehran would not accept zero uraniumenrichment,akeysticking point in past negotiations, with Washington viewing enrichment inside Iran as a potential pathway tonuclearweapons. Iran denies seeking such weapons.
InJune,theU.S.joinedIsraelin a series of air strikes that targeted Iraniannuclearsites. The U.S. is also stepping up economic pressure on Iran. At a White House meeting earlier this week, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu agreedthattheU.S.wouldworkto reduce Iran's oil exports to China, AxiosreportedonSaturday. China accounts for more than 80% of Iran's oil exports so any reduction in that trade would significantly lower Iran's oil revenue.
President Mohamed Irfaan Ali addresses the gathering
President, Dr.
Mohamed Irfaan
Ali has called on Guyanese to use the
observance of Maha Shivratri as a time for reflection, self-examination andrenewedcommitmentto humanity, stressing that
spirituality must be
a c c o m p a n i e d b y compassion, responsibility andsocialjustice.
The head of state deliveredthefeatureaddress on Sunday at the Festival of Maha Shivratri 2026, where devotees gathered to pray
and observe one of Hinduism's most sacred occasions.
At the Cove and John Ashram, President Ali encouraged citizens to think more deeply about what
c o n s c i e n c e a n d consciousness really mean,
to remain selfless and mindfulintheirconduct
The head of state further underscored the importance of remembering the struggles and sacrifices that shaped the nation, urging youngpeopleinparticularto evaluate institutions and movements through the lens of history and service rather thanfleetingimpressions.
Also addressing the gathering, Attorney General andMinisterofLegalAffairs Mohabir Anil Nandlall, SC, described Maha Shivratri as one of the most auspicious observances on the Hindu calendar, rich in both spiritual and practical significance.
identity as a multireligious and multicultural society, pointing out that Hindu, Muslim and Christian observances often coincide, reflecting the country's diversityandunity
remindingthemthatthesego beyond rituals or personal beliefs.
“Have we lost our conscience? Have we lost our consciousness?Today is about rekindling with our conscience,” the president said, explaining that true spiritualitycannotflourishin societies marked by hunger, anger, conflict or social decay
H e n o t e d t h a t consciousness involves recognising a higher moral responsibility in everyday actions and understanding what is expected of individuals first as human beings.
“Today is just a reminder that conscience e x i s t s a n d t h a t consciousness exists so that we can take it through the rest of the year and the rest of our lives,” President Ali said, encouraging citizens
(Reuters) - The rumble of 1959 Chevrolets, once the rhythmicheartbeatofHavana,isfadingtothenearsilenceof electricvehiclesastheislandfacesitsworstfuelshortagein years.
Forsixdecades,Cuba’sroadschangedlittle,definedby colorful vintage cars But in recent years, Cubans increasingly adopted electric vehicles as fuel became scarcer
Now, they are helping the population grapple with a worseningfuelcrisis,sincetheU.S.cutoffoilexportsfrom thecommunist-runcountry’sallyVenezuelaandthreatened topenaliseothercountriesexportingfueltotheisland.
U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has declaredCuba“anunusualandextraordinarythreat”toU.S. nationalsecurity.
IntheAlamarneighbourhoodontheoutskirtsofHavana, Eugenio Gainza weaves a state-run rickshaw-style electric tricycle over the rutted roads, picking up passengers. “We make16tripsaday,”hesays.“Thereisnofuel.Thisisthe onlymeansoftransportationsupportingthisarea.”
For residents like Maria Caridad Gonzalez, these staterunvehiclesarealifeline,providingavitalwaytogetaround inaneconomysqueezedbyrationing.Privateservicesalso exist,butaremoreexpensive,shesaid.
Lastweek,thegovernmentdetailedawide-rangingplan torationfuelandprotectessentialservices.
Resident Barbaro Castaneda said the shift toward renewable energy was the only thing keeping the island mobile. “Together, it is what is helping the country move forward,” he said. “Otherwise, we would be completely paralysed.”
Heextendedblessingsto devoteesandcalledforunity, compassion and a shared commitmenttohumanity
He explained that the festival symbolises the triumph of positive forces overnegativityandcalledon citizens to include in their prayersthosewhoprotectthe country's sovereignty and security
Ministe
“Weareabletocelebrate our distinct cultures under the banner of one Guyana,” hesaid,whilecautioningthat thesefreedomsshouldnever be taken for granted, noting that in many parts of the world, people still face p
discrimination because of theirfaith.(DPI)
The University of Guyana (UG) Turkeyen
C a m p u s a n d t h e Government Technical Institute (GTI) emerged as the latest winners in the inaugural Modec Tertiary
Education Football Tournament, recording commanding victories on Sunday at the Queen's College ground to remain unbeaten in the opening round.
GTI produced a clinical response to defeat Texila American University 5-2 in an entertaining encounter Texila struck early through AdolfAdietbella,whonetted inthesixthand11thminutes to hand his side a 2-0 advantage.
GTI, however, quickly regrouped. Damario Webb
ignited the comeback in the 13th minute with a welltakenstrikefromoutsidethe striking area to reduce the deficit. Kevin Davis then converted from the penalty spotinthe30thminuteafter Charles Efrahim was penalised for handball, levellingthecontestat2-2. The momentum swung decisively in GTI's favour two minutes later when DavidAugusta capped off a tidybuild-uptogivehisteam a 3-2 lead. Alton Fraser extended the advantage, finishing calmly from close rangeinsidethesix-yardbox to make it 4-2. Though the second half was more measured and defensively organised, Keron Seymour sealed the result in the 61st minute to complete the 5-2
triumph.
M
, U G Turkeyen Campus delivered
dismantling the Guyana Industrial Training Centre (GITC) 18-0 in the second leg of their home-and-away fixture.
Sherwin Evans was the
, registeringadoublehat-trick to underline UG's title ambitions The onslaught began almost immediately, with Josiah King (2'), Jaleei Alcindor (6'), Romeo Bradford (8') and Deandre Anderson (10') all finding the net in a blistering openingspell.
Evan
op
d his account in the 39th minute,
ARIES (Mar. 21–Apr. 19
You’re feeling especially psychically and mystically inclined today, Aries. You might want to read about suchmatter
TAURUS(Apr.20–May20)
You’re usually a very practical and down-to-Earth person,buttodayyoumaybe more inclined than usual towardmysticism.
GEMINI(May21–June20)
Group activities involving meditation, psychic or spiritual topics, or artistic pursuits are probably very appealing to you right now, Gemini.
CANCER(June21–July22)
You’re normally a very intuitive person, and today you may experience clairvoyance that could rival JeaneDixon’s.
LEO(July23–Aug.22)
Your imagination is flying hightoday,Leo.Yourinterest inmysticalandmetaphysical mattersisatanall-timehigh, and you could find yourself strolling through New Age bookstores.
VIRGO(Aug.23–Sept.22)
Some wonderful news concerningmoneyandcareer matters could come your way today, Virgo. Your natural kindness and sympathy for others has led you to make somegoodfriends
University of Guyana goal scorers in their impressive 18-0 victory. Pictured are Josiah King, Jaleei, Romeo Bradford, Deandre Aderson, Sherwin Evans, Ronaldo Sobers, Kerron Spencer and Montell Mc Almont
LIBRA(Sept.23–Oct.22)
A minor conflict with a romantic partner in the morningislikelytoendwitha tearful reunion and much reassurancebymid-afternoon
SCORPIO(Oct.23–Nov.21)
Your intuition, imagination, and insight have served you wellonthejob,andshouldpay offsoon Araise,commission, or perhaps a chance to invest in the company could be offeredtoyou
SAGIT(Nov.22–Dec.21)
You can count on a very idyllic and romantic day today, Sagittarius. You’re feeling especially warm and sensual,andyoutendtoview the partner in your life throughrose-coloredglasses.
CAPRI(Dec.22–Jan.19)
Someonewhoisastudentof natural healing may come to visit you and share some ideas today You tend to be interested in matters concerninghealth.
AQUARIUS(Jan.20–Feb.18)
Books and movies may inspireyoutogetinvolvedin artistic activities Your aesthetic sense is very high todayandyoumaybedrawing your inspiration from the higherrealms.
PISCES(Feb.19–Mar.20)
You could be feeling a bit flush today, Pisces, and thereforeyoumightdecideto do a little work on your house.
while Bradford added his second a minute later From there, UG tightened their grip on the contest. Evans struck again in the 48th, 52nd, 59th, 65th and 69th minutes, as Ronaldo Sobers added further goals in the 83rd,88thand90thminutes.
Kerron Spencer contributed a brace (62', 89'), and Montell McAlmont added a lone strike in the 80th to completetherout. The tournament is sponsored by Modec, with supportfromtheMinistryof Culture, Youth and Sports, MACORP, Demerara Mutual Group and Banks Powerade. Action continues tomorrowasteamsbattlefor spotsinthenextround.
Frompage23 management For athletes competing internationally, having a physiotherapist travel with national teams is often essential, ensuring immediate medical response during training and competition, reducing recovery time, and safeguarding long-term athletehealth.
“Access to qualified physiotherapy support allows athletes to maintain peak condition while also providing reassurance to coaches and administrators that medical best practices are being followed,” the DirectorofSportstated.
The upcoming workshop is expected to bring together physiotherapists, sports administrators, coaches, and medical personnel from multipledisciplines,creating a platform for knowledge exchange and practical learning.
Ninvalle also noted that theworkshopalignswiththe broader vision of the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport to professionalise support systems within sport andensureGuyaneseathletes receiveworld-classcare.Just last week, the NSC collaborated with the Epilepsy Foundation of Guyana to host a pioneering workshop aimed at improving awareness and management of epilepsy in sport.
(Cricinfo) - A dominant bowling display in the powerplay, backed up by a solidbattingdisplayhelpeda clinical West Indies ease to their third win of the tournament, confirming their spot in the Super Eights.
Fromthefirstoverofthe game until the last, West Indies were in complete control as they eased to a nine-wicket win, ending
Nepal's dreams of progressingintheprocess.
Matthew Forde shone with the new ball, while Jason Holder took four wickets Dipendra Singh Airee was a bright spot for Nepal with a gritty halfcentury to take them to 133 for 8, but it wasn't enough againstapower-packedWest Indieslineup.
West Indies captain Shai Hope found his feet with a fluent half-century while ShimronHetmyercontinued his destructive form asWest Indiesracedtotheirtargetin the16thover WestIndiesdominate thepowerplay
Hope wanted West Indiestomakethemostofa pitch he said was damper than they had expected, and his bowlers did just that.
Akeal Hosein dealt the first blow, beating Kushal Bhurtel's defence with an arm ball in the first over,
improving an already impressive match-up
Hosein has now dismissed Bhurtelfourtimesinthefour T20Iinningstheyhavefaced eachotherandhasconceded just 18 runs off as many balls.
Then it was Forde's turn to get in on the action. The allrounder, playing because Romario Shepherd was left out as a precaution due to a slight niggle, got the ball to swingandseamaround,and Nepal's batters had no answers.
In his second over, he trapped Nepal captain Rohit
Paudel lbw with an inswinger, and then barely allowedAiree to get a touch ontheballashecompleteda wicketmaiden.
JasonHolderthenstruck with his first ball of the match as Nepal lost two wickets in seven balls withoutscoring.Itwasaslot ball that should have been putaway,butAasifSheikh's flick went straight to Shimron Hetmyer at deep backwardsquare.
Nepal survived the rest ofthepowerplay,buttheir22 for3wasthelowestscorein the first six overs by any teaminthisWorldCup.
Holderthenremovedthe other Sheikh brother, with Aarif miscuing one to midwicket.
Airee,Kamilift
Nepalatthedeath
Betweenovers8and15, Nepal went at a run-a-ball, losing two more wickets. Airee stayed steady at one end, and if Nepal were to reach a respectable total, he wouldbekeytothateffort.
AireeandSompalKamiwho came into the XI in place of Lalit Rajbanshipickedupaboundaryeachin the17thover,andthenKami hit Holder for three consecutive boundaries throughtheoffside.
Airee cut a short and wide delivery from Shamar Josephforsixtobringuphis half-century - only the
secondbyaNepalbatterina T20 World Cup - and finishedan18-runoverwith another six, this time slogging the West Indies quickovermidwicket. However, he fell to Holder in the final over while trying to clear the ropes Holder closed the innings out well, conceding just seven runs despite offeringNepalafreehit.He alsodismissedKaranKCoff the final ball to finish with figures of 4 for 27. It was a strongcomebackaftergoing wicketlessandconceding34 runs in two overs in the win overEngland.
BySamuelWhyte
The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has selected its Under-16 male cricket squad to contest the upcomingGuyanaCricketBoard Inter-County Under-16 cricket Tournament Five standby players have also been named The squad will be captained by Leon Reddy, while Luke Amsterdam has been appointed the vice-captain.The rest of the squad is Shahid Gajnabi, Lemuel DeJonge, Brandon Grimmond, Nhar Latchagadu, Trevor Renolds, Ravindra Persaud, Akash Ramdewar, Jayden Ganpat, Justin Hicks, Altaf Ali, Said Jumratty, Asgaralli Nabi and DineshSingh. The stand-by players are DarrenSinclair,GautamDhanraj, Nicquan Fraser, Solomon HerculesandAnthonyPersaud.
The tournament bowls off today, February 16, with two matches In today's games, Berbice will be at home against the GCB Select XI. That game will be played at the Rose Hall Community Centre Ground in EastCanje.Thesecondgamewill see Demerara taking on Essequibo at the La Bonne
Intention (LBI) Ground on the EastCoastofDemerara.
Thecompetitioncontinueson Tuesday with the Select XI opposingDemeraraatLBI,while BerbicewillclashwithEssequibo at the Lusignan Ground On Thursday,DemeraraandBerbice will meet at Lusignan, while the GCB Select XI will play EssequiboatLBI.
The final is scheduled to be played on February 21 at either the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC)GroundorLBI.
All matches are scheduled to beginat09:30hours.
The tournament, which was traditionally contested at the Under-15levelhasnowshiftedto the under 16 level, with adjustment being made to follow Cricket West Indies' decision to removetheUnder-17tournament fromitscalendarthisyear
WestIndies,T20WorldCup, Mumbai,February15,2026 Hetmyer ensured West Indies did not slow down or come under pressure with a flurryofboundaries.
H e s t r u c k t w o boundaries off Sandeep Lamichhane, the second coming off the outside edge right after Nepal removed theloneslipfielder,andthen steered Airee through third foranother
Hetmyer launched Lamichhane for the first six of the innings as he raced to 26off16.
WestIndiesstartsteady Brandon King punched hisfirstballoffthebackfoot through covers for four, but West Indies were not overly hurried in their chase. They pickedupaboundaryineach ofthefirstthreeoversbefore King hit Kami for back-tobackfours.
If flashbacks of the tenwicket defeat to Italy were worrying Nepal fans, NandanYadavofferedsome respite when he had King caught at mid-on West
Indies finished the powerplayon44for1.
Shai Hope flick one towards leg side, Nepal vs
In the 12th over, Hetmyer whipped Yadav over midwicket before pulling him behind square for four But as the target drewcloser,Hopepickedup the pace and reclaimed the leadinthelittleracebetween himandHetmyer
A misfield at long-on gifted him a boundary off Bhurtel,andthenextballhe swungoverbackwardsquare for six Two sixes off Lamichhane - the first bringing up Hope's fiftysaw West Indies level the scores in the 15th over, and they needed just two more balls to seal the win and the twopoints.
It was also a return to some form for Hope, with the West Indies skipper having only managed 19 runsinthefirsttwogames.
Jamaica last hosted a CPL match in 2019 when the Jamaica Tallawahs played their final home game at Sabina Park (Getty Images)
(Jamaica Gleaner) - Minister of Sport Olivia Grange has announced that Caribbean Premier League (CPL) matches will return to Jamaica for the firsttimeinsevenyears.
In a statement on Friday, Grange revealed that Cabinet had given approval for the country to host matches in the CPL 2026 season, starting in August, as well as the establishment of a new Jamaica franchise.
JamaicalasthostedaCPLmatchin 2019 when the Jamaica Tallawahs playedtheirfinalhomegameatSabina Park.
Cabinet's approval comes after the Ministry of Culture, Gender,
Entertainment and Sport, and the Ministry of Tourism concluded arrangementswiththeCPL.
“I'mveryelatedthatthegameswill be around Independence time, so we'll have an extended celebratory period, andI'mlookingforwardtothediaspora coming to Jamaica to enjoy the Independence celebrations, the Grand GalaandCPL,”Grangesaid.
“We have worked out some details in regard to how Jamaica will benefit outside of theT20 games; and we will be able to promote Brand Jamaica, destination Jamaica, because it's a combination of two ministries partnering with the CPL and the new franchise holders ”Meanwhile,
Minister of Tourism Edmund Bartlett said the island was set to reap major benefitsfromtheCPL'sreturn.
“The Government of Jamaica is delighted to welcome the CPL family back to our shores in 2026 as we celebratetheexcitingfusionofcricket, culture,andcommunity
“The return of CPL to Kingston represents more than just world-class sporting action – it signals a renewed wave of energy for our urban tourism strategy. We are committed to showcasing fresh experiences, vibrant city offerings, and even more compelling reasons for visitors to choose Jamaica as their destination,” Bartlettsaid.
The National Sports Commission(NSC)willhost aspecialisedPhysiotherapist Workshop on February 27 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, as part of its continued efforts to strengthen athlete care and medical support
across the country's expandingsportssector
The initiative was formalised following a collaborative meeting between the NSC and the Min
ry of Health's DisabilityandRehabilitation ServicesDepartment,headed byDrArianeMangar
Thepartnershipreflectsa growing recognition that athletewelfaremustremaina centralpillarofnationalsport development, particularly as Guyanacontinuestoincrease its participation in regional a n d i
competitions.
Director of Sport Steve Ninvalle emphasised the significance of the workshop, noting that the country's sporting landscape hasevolvedrapidlyinrecent years, creating greater d
physiotherapy professionals who understand the unique needsofathletes.
“The NSC, and by extension the Ministry of Culture,YouthandSport,has been working closely with the various physiotherapists
acrossthecountry,”Ninvalle explained.
Ninvalle further highlighted, “however, this workshop will look to enhance the a
ready exceptional care being provided,whilealsocreating opportunitiesfornetworking and stronger collaboration with the different sporting associations.”
Physiotherapists, Ninvallepointedout,playsa critical role in modern sport, particularly at the elite level, noting that their expertise extends beyond injury treatment to include injury prevention, rehabilitation planning, performance optimisation, and recovery (Continuedonpage21)
( C r i c i n f o ) - A sensational 77 off 40 balls fromIshanKishanonaslow, spin-friendly pitch helped India make it 8-1 against Pakistan inT20World Cups and seal their place in the Super Eights.The surface at the R Premadasa Stadium was so tacky that Pakistan bowled18oversofspinafter stickingIndiain,butKishan rose above the conditions to take India to what looked like30abovepar
Withthreewicketsinthe first two overs, Hardik Pandya and Jasprit Bumrah vindicated that feeling as Indiaregisteredtheirbiggest T20IwinagainstPakistan.
The impact of Kishan's innings - after SalmanAgha opened the bowling to get AbhishekSharmaforaduck - was clear from plain numbers. The rest of the India innings, including extras, managed just 98 off 80 balls, which was much c l o s e r t o b e i n g representative of the conditions As was Pakistan's innings, which wentatoverarunaballonly thanks to Usman Khan's 44 off34.
Aghaspringsasurprise Itisano-brainertobowl
offspinagainsttwoleft-hand openers on a slow surface, but the choice of the bowler was surprising: Agha, and not Saim Ayub. Even with thenewball,turnandlackof pace was obvious, resulting in one run off first five balls and a second duck in two innings for Abhishek in his WorldCupcareer
This is only the second month of the year, and nothingrodeonthismatchin terms of progression in the tournament, but this is an early contender of the innings of the year just because of how much better Kishanwasthantheaverage better on this surface.
ShaheenShahAfridihadthe right idea to bowl into the surface even with the new ball,butthequickhandsand low height of Kishan turned thefirstballintoadismissive pulloverforwardsquareleg for a six. Then he hit Agha overmid-onagainsttheturn. A lot of focus has been around Usman Tariq, but Pakistan's main spinner for long has beenAbrarAhmed withhismixofoffbreaksand carrom balls. Kishan didn't let him settle, sweeping him firstballforsix.
Despite the first over
ending at 1 for 1, Kishan ownedthepowerplay,taking India to 52 for 1, which was absolutely essential before the field spread out. The easing of field restrictions didn'tmattertoKishan,who steeredthefirstballafterthe powerplay for four Then he hitAbrarrightoverhishead. Then drove him over extracover The second of these fours brought up his fifty in just27balls.
Curiously, despite
havinganoffspinnerandtwo mystery spinners who can turn the ball away from the left-hander,Pakistanwentto Shadab Khan's legspin againsttwoleft-handbatters in the eighth over, and paid with 17 runs. By the time AyubdismissedKishan,one ball after a reverse-pull for four,hehadscored77outof 88in8.4overs.
Ayubinterrupts India'scharge Suryakumar Yadav and TilakVarmaseemedcontent to play within themselves, thefirstsignthatIndiaknew Kishan had done something specialandalltheyneededto do was preserve their position.
They added 38 off 33, includingafirst-ballfouroff
Tariq,butwhentheydecided to go again in the 15th over, Ayubprovedtobeadifficult proposition.HegotTilakon the sweep, Hardik for a golden duck, and nearly bowled Shivam Dube with the hat-trick ball The amount of turn he got indicated India were still aheadinthegame.
ItwasthereturnofAbrar and Afridi in the 18th and 20th overs that gave India the opportunity to achieve a finalkick.
Dube and Rinku Singh tooktheopportunitywith27 off17and11off4.Between them, Afridi, Abrar and Shadab went for 86 in six
overs, poor returns for the surface.
Hardik,Bumrahcrack opentoporder
He might have scored a golden duck in trying to imposehimselfonthegame, butwiththeballHardikwas meticulous.
No driving length, no room, three dots, and out came the low-percentage pull for a four-ball duck for Sahibzada Farhan. Bumrah cashedinonthepressureofa first-over wicket maiden with swing and hard lengths tosendbackAyubandAgha. Babar Azam missed a slog sweepoffAxarPateltomake it34for4in4.5overs.
UsmanKhanshows promise
The game was all but over but Usman Khan kept Pakistan interested with the innings that came closest to Kishan'sintermsofease.He hitPandyaforasixandthen took 27 off 15 balls from Axar with two inside-out fours and two through straight long-off after charginghim. However, Axar had his own back when he saw Usmancoming,firedonein, and fittingly Kishan was there to practically seal the win for India Only formalit
(BBC Sport) - Arsenal scored four goals in the opening 30 minutesastheycruisedpastWigan toreachtheFACupfifthroundfor thefirsttimeinsixyears.
The Premier League leaders dominated the League One strugglers from the outset and opened the scoring in the 11th minute.EberechiEzepickedupthe ball near the halfway line and played a defence-splitting pass for Noni Madueke who finished confidently past Sam Tickle.The hosts doubled their advantage sevenminuteslater,withEzeagain providing an excellent assist - this timeforGabrielMartinellitofinish into the corner.Arsenal extended theirleadwhenJackHuntscoredan unfortunate own goal as he tried a clearanceaftergoodworkbetween BukayoSakaandMadueke.
Saka was a late addition to the Gunners'startingXI,afterRiccardo Calafioripulledoutofthewarm-up with an injury, and the England winger played in an unfamiliar centralmidfieldrole.
Saka's midfield partner for the day, Christian Norgaard, set up Gabriel Jesus for Arsenal's fourth, with the striker cleverly chipping
overtheonrushingTickle.
Theirdevastatingopeningburst meant Arsenal became the first Premier League side to score four goalsintheopeninghalf-hourofan FACupmatch.Wiganhadachance to net a consolation with one of their rare attacks but Kepa Arrizabalagaproducedanexcellent save to deny Joe Taylor, while substitute Viktor Gyokeres hit the post for the Gunners in the second half.
Arsenal had not reached the fifthroundsince2020-thelasttime theywonthiscompetition,inMikel Arteta's first season in charge, and theirmostrecenttrophy
SunderlandseeoffOxford challengeinfourthround
Sunderland overcame the s p i r i t e d c h a l l e n g e o f Championship strugglers Oxford United to move into the FA Cup fifth round with victory at the KassamStadium.
HabibDiarra'sfirst-halfpenalty settledatiethePremierLeagueside deserved to win - but also one in which Matt Bloomfield's side emergedwithcredit.
Oxford, struggling one place off the bottom of the
Championship,madeeightchanges but acquitted themselves well, particularlyinthefirsthalf.
NewSouthKoreansigningJinWooJeonwaslivelyearlyonwhile another new acquisition Jamie Donley, on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, had a powerful shot punched away by Sunderland
Arsenal became the first Premier League side to score four goals inside 30 minutes in an FA Cup match (Getty Images)
keeperRobinRoefs. The underdogs were furious whenrefereeThomasKirkpointed to the spot after Christ Makosso challenged Dennis Cirkin after 32 minutes, Diarra completing the formalities Oxford keeper Matt Ingram, deputising for first choice Jamie Cumming, distinguished
himself in the second half with a succession of fine saves as Sunderland applied more pressure, denying Romaine Mundle, ChemsidineTalbiandTraiHume. Sunderland, however, were rarelyinseriousdangerastheytook another step on the road to Wembley
BySamuelWhyte
Wi t h
preparations ongoingforthe much-anticipated Kennard MemorialTurfClubPhagwah Horse Race meet, several notable sponsors have signalled their intent to come aboard.
Theevent,whichisslated for Sunday, March 8, at the Club's track in Bush Lot Farm, Corentyne, Berbice, is shaping up to be a grand occasion.
Seven races are on the day's programme with a whopping $9M in cash, trophies and other enticementsatstake.
Metro Office and Computer Supplies has once again taken charge with full sponsorship of the feature event.
The Company has pledged more than $4M for the race dubbed the 'Metro Mile', which also has the Phagwah Cup at Stake. The winner will race away with a tantalizing $2M and the Phagwah Cup over 9 furlongs.
TheothereventsaretheF class race for a winner's take of$500,000andtrophyover7 furlongs.
There is the H class race which has $ 450,000 and a
trophyover7furlongsforthe tophorse.
Three years old Guyana bred maiden horse has a first prize of $350,000 and a trophyover6furlongstoaim for
Horse classified J class racesover7Furlongsforatop haulof$350,000andatrophy
The K class and lower eventalsohas$350,000anda trophyover6Furlongsforthe winner
ThefinaleventforLclass maiden horses has a similar taking of $350,000 and a trophyover6furlongs.
O u t s t a n d i n g performanceswillincludethe Champion Jockey and Trainer, Runner up Jockey andTrainer,ChampionStable andmore.Thewinnerswillall r e c e i v e a c c o l a d e s compliments of Ramesh SunichofTrophyStall.
The club has released several rules, which will be used to guide the day's activity.Those rules will be published in a subsequent publication.
The event will be held usingtherulesoftheKennard MemorialTurfClub.
Interested persons can contact the secretary of the club, Isabela Beaton, at 6937812forfurtherdetails.
Racetimeis12:30hrs.
The KMTC Phagwah Horse Race Meet has seven races billed for the day
